Options Activity Questioned Again

A windfall bet made in H.J. Heinz Co. options one day before a buyout was announced Thursday prompted regulators to act quickly, freezing assets they suspect are tied to the trade.

But the Heinz bet, which the Securities and Exchange Commission said could have paid out $1.7 million, was just the latest in a series of unusual options trades made ahead of the disclosures of big deals and other news that moved share prices.